Page 4 Step One: Brainstorm

Step One: Brainstorm

Choose a topic in which you are interested. Avoid topics that have been written about repeatedly. Avoid broad topics. After you decide on a general topic, narrow its focus so that it can be addressed effectively in two or three pages. A specific focus makes your search for information efficient and organized. A way to choose and narrow a topic is through brainstorming. This allows you to add context or parameters to your topic.

Four common brainstorming techniques are mind-mapping, questioning, RAFTS and KWL (Know-Want-Learn) charts .

R	Role	From whose point of view are you writing?  Are you an expert in this research subject?
A	Audience	To whom are you writing this report? (Here, your audience will be your teacher).  Is your topic question appropriate and interesting for this audience? What information might your audience already know about your topic?  What does your audience need to know to understand the topic?  What do you want your audience to learn about your topic?
F	Format	What format will your research report take?  Will it be a visual presentation (PowerPoint,  video, etc.) or a formal written report?  What images (charts, graphs, webs, etc.) should supplement your research? What types of information do you need to supplement answers to your topic question (such as statistics, facts, descriptions, graphics, articles)?              How is the research assignment evaluated? The evaluation of your work determines assignment expectations (exploration of ideas, amount of support, length, etc.)
T	Topic	Write your topic as a question. Exploring "answers" to the question will help you find a specific focus. Ask questions such as these: Is this topic question interesting? Is this topic easy to research? (Choose a topic with substantial sources of information. If your topic is new and trendy, little or no information may be available to research!) Has some aspect of this topic been in the news lately? What sources likely have the information you need (news articles, online encyclopedias, Wikipedia, textbooks, etc.)? (After initial research, you might find a more interesting focus within your topic or you may have to find a new topic.)
S	Strong Purpose	Consider the purpose of your research assignment. What information do you need to research and why? How thorough should your research be?  Should your research be general or very specific?